Update: Albany Dems’ candidate panel split on McEneny’s plans

Update: On Tuesday, Albany County Democratic Party officials — including Chairman Matthew Clyne — began openly acknowledging that McEneny has indicated he will not run.

“It appears he will be declining the nomination,” Michael Mackey, chairman of the party’s candidate-selection panel said.

Clyne, who said he was surprised by McEneny’s decision, also acknowledged that the party will have to hold a future meeting to interview prospective candidates.

“We have to reconvene because of the McEneny seat anyway,” Clyne said. “I hear stuff. I think we’re just going to let that percolate for a while. It’s an open playing field right now. I don’t even know who’s interested in it.”

People with direct knowledge of what McEneny told the panel, however, differ about what he actually said.

Three people have told me that McEneny informed the committee of local party chairs and city ward leaders on Saturday that he will respectfully decline the party’s nomination when the full Albany County Democratic Committee meets on Wednesday, triggering what promises to be a wild Democratic scrum to succeed him.

“He absolutely is not taking it,” one member told me.

“He wasn’t the least bit ambiguous,” said another.

But three others have insisted McEneny was, in fact, more opaque than that — saying he would inform party leaders of his decision early this week.

None of those I spoke to would discuss the matter without anonymity, citing the fact that McEneny had requested discretion and the opportunity — after two decades in the seat — to receive and decline the nomination in person Wednesday night.

Update: My colleague in the Capitol Bureau Jimmy Vielkind asked McEneny about the above today, and he’s what he said: “You’re going to have to come on Wednesday to find out.”

Those who also don’t believe there was much ambiguity to McEneny’s intentions include the raft of Democrats who began jockeying for support — or at least toying with the idea of running — this weekend to succeed him after word of his remarks to party leaders spread.

So far, the list includes at least three County Legislators: Christopher Higgins of Albany, who was aggressively courting support as early as Friday; County Legislator Bryan Clenahan of Guilderland, who said he was “definitely interested”, and Gary Domalewicz of Albany, who primaried McEneny in 1998.

“I’m interested. I’ve had many phone calls of people trying to encourage me to run,” said Domalewicz, who also represents about 1,000 voters in North Bethlehem. “Even if I don’t run, I hope they open it so it’s an opportunity for everyone to go out and run.”

Legislature Majority Leader Frank Commisso also acknowledged that he’s assembled a team to look at the district, which now newly includes the town of Bethlehem. That could mean a run for himself, or he could support another candidate, said Commisso, who is also leader of the 15th Ward, one of the largest Democratic vote producers in the city.

Commisso’s legislative district has also at times over the years included parts of Bethlehem and Guilderland, the two largest towns in the district.

Common Councilman Joseph Igoe, who represents the 14th Ward, is also said to have been encouraged by Mayor Jerry Jennings to run, among others.

Igoe said he was “very, very interested” when he first heard the rumor Saturday that McEneny would not run.

“I’m flattered, but I can’t say I’m leaning one way or the other right now,” he said. “I have a lot of people coming out asking me to do it, willing to support me, but I’m just not sure.”

Albany police spokesman James Miller, a political newcomer who is retiring this week, also confirmed that he has been following the redistricting process closely and would be interested in weighing a run for McEneny’s seat.

McEneny’s daughter, Rachel, a former aide to District Attorney David Soares and U.S. Kirsten Gillibrand, has also been widely discussed as a potential candidate.

Meanwhile, three members of the candidate selection panel also told me they left the meeting certain that the County Legislature’s chairman, Shawn Morse, will primary state Sen. Neil Breslin this year and that he will run with or without the party’s backing.

But Morse disputes those recollections, saying he merely said that if he chooses to run, he would run with or without the party’s support.

Either way, the candidate-selection panel is recommending that the executive committee (and later, the whole party’s membership) back Breslin for a ninth term. (The Rensselaer County Democrats will also have a say here, as Breslin’s district now — for the first time — jumps the river to include the city of Rensselaer and South Troy.

Also, the panel back Coeymans Town Board member and town Democratic Committee chairman Thomas Dolan for the new 46th state Senate District, which spans the western half of Albany County in addition to Montgomery, Greene and parts of Ulster and Schenectady counties.

4 Responses

Put half-a-dozen Albany County Dems in a room with someone who’s perfectly able to say what he means, and in the aftermath they can’t agree on what Jack said.Oh, oh, the troubles we’ve seen!

The list of candidates reported here is long, but I sure don’t think it’s complete. Lot of focus on candidates beloved by one or another slices of the Albany portion of the district, but redistricting centers the redrawn district’s population in the ‘burbs.

Minor parties are likely to have a voice in how all this goes down. I’m sure a lot of prospective candidates are making their way there right this very minute.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Mar. 27, 2012) — Mónica Arias Miranda, candidate for New York State Senate, has issued the following statement:

“The Albany County Democratic Committee has chosen their candidate for the new Senate District 46. On Saturday, March 24 the Committee conducted candidate interviews; however, I was excluded from the process. I announced my candidacy back on March 13, 2012 and reached out to the Committee with no response as of today.”

“It is unfortunate that the “good-old-boy network” is alive and well in our political system. We are fortunate to live in a country where anyone can run for public office, however, the political machine that is in place does not believe in a Democracy where people and not parties are the ones who chose their candidates. Women and minorities continue to be underrepresented in elected office; excluding the only Latina who has expressed interest in this seat is a clear indication that the well-oiled machine is working as it wants to — without regard to increasing diversity in our government and to protect the status quo.”

“I am not a career politician nor am I running to protect the status quo. I believe strongly in accountability from our government and will fight for a more transparent system, one that includes and allows the participation from the people — as our Constitution has established and guarantees each of us.

“New Yorkers should be very concerned about not being included in the political process under which we live — Democracy is about participation from the people, exclusion is just but one way of chipping away our rights as citizens.”